A federal appeals court has dismissed the appeal charges brought against President Donald Trump aides Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira by former Special Counsel Jack Smith in the classified documents case. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case against Nauta and De Oliveira on Tuesday morning, following the Justice Department's decision to drop the charges.
Nauta, Trump’s valet, and De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, had pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging they conspired to obstruct the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. The Justice Department moved to drop all criminal proceedings against Nauta and De Oliveira in January, effectively ending Smith's probe that began over two years ago.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as special counsel in November 2022. Smith, a former Justice Department official, led the investigation into Trump's retention of classified documents post his presidency and whether there was obstruction of the federal government's investigation.
Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into potential interference with the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election, including the events of Jan. 6, 2021. While Smith charged Trump in both cases, the former president pleaded not guilty.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified records case in July 2024, ruling that Smith's appointment as special counsel was unlawful. Additionally, the case related to the 2020 election charges against Trump was also dismissed by Judge Tanya Chutkan.
In January, the Justice Department terminated several officials who were part of Smith's team prosecuting the president, citing concerns about their ability to implement the president's agenda faithfully. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed the acting FBI Director to identify agents involved in Jan. 6 prosecutions for internal review.
